Untitled 1953

Cy Twombly created this untitled work using paint and a canvas. Twombly, who came of age in the mid-20th century, worked against the backdrop of abstract expressionism, a movement dominated by male artists. Twombly was interested in classical literature, mythology, and history. He saw the canvas as a site of inscription where he could revisit and rewrite these narratives. Often, as here, Twombly layers marks and gestures on the canvas so that meaning is created not just through the act of painting but through a process of overwriting and erasure. Twombly, who was gay, spent a great deal of time in Italy. Perhaps the triumphal, classical references in his work can be read in relation to his outsider status in America. The contrast between light and dark, presence and absence, creates a tension that feels both personal and universal.